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Sunday Mar 28, 2010

The nature of emergency medicine inherently presents with multiple challenges – from making diagnosis, treatment and appropriate referral. For this reason, emergency medicine locums are widely sought out by many physicians in all disciplines of medicines and surgery. The work of emergency medicine is abundant in scope, erratic and potentially unlimited in demands.
Emergency medicines locums for all types of physicians are readily available in most hospitals all over the country. Because many patients do not have a primary physician, thousands of patients seek the emergency room as their primary care facility. All over the country, emergency rooms are packed with patients. Almost every emergency room today caters every type of patient – from routine colds, trauma, acute surgical problems, heart attacks, children’s disease and the elderly.
The typical emergency medicine patient is usually unknown to the physician. He or she did not anticipate the illness and the visits are almost never scheduled unless it is for a wound change. In almost all cases, patients arrive to the emergency room because of the chance encounter with an acute illness or trauma. In many cases, patients do not arrive in the emergency room prepared, many do not have the list of their medications or know the exact details about their illness, some are not able to give a history, and others need emergency life support.
Emergency rooms today have become a lifeline for many patients who have no medical insurance and no one wants to care for them. Even insured patients now find solace in emergency rooms when their own physicians cannot schedule them on time or when they have any acute illness. The majority of the people who come to the ER have already reached a point where there needs are urgent in the face of a downward spiraling illness and there is a little margin of errors. The majority of people living in North America will visit the ER at some point in their lives. In almost all cases, the visit will be unplanned, undesired and stressful. The ability of emergency room physician is to anticipate the needs of patients facing an acute illness or injury may determine the success in providing rapid, appropriate and safe treatment.
Even though it may sound like emergency rooms are stressful, congested and demanding, the discipline is one of the most gratifying in all of medicine. It is not often that one gets a chance to save a life of a patient. Emergency medicine locums are also well reimbursed. The opportunities in emergency medicine locums are vast and due to being attached to emergency services, one can get good experience that could benefit their life and career. As a medical aspirant, one can opt for Anesthesiology, Radiology, Emergency Medicine, CRNA, Psychiatry and many more. You can provide a quality services in different medical facilities of the United States.
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Thursday Mar 25, 2010

The discipline of Internal Medicine originated in Germany and became popular in the United States in the early 20th century. The term is derived from ‘Innere Medizin’, denoting physicians who treated patients using their knowledge of laboratory science. Today, The American College of Physicians is the prime society for internal medicine globally.
Internal medicine doctors or internists primarily deal with adult patients and pay more attention to medicine for adults. They are associated with a patient’s right from teenage to old age and have a special residency-training period of three years on preventing and treating diseases that afflict adults. They work together with other medical specialists such as surgeons or pediatricians. Their ability to go about solving a health problem by looking at it from a number of angles is well known.
Internalists are equipped to handle simple as well as complicated health problems. They are good at deciphering diagnostic problems and dealing with multiple illnesses that occur simultaneously. They also educate their patients on general well being and advise them on preventive measures, substance abuse, women’s health, mental well being and so on. As you can see, they are a highly trained group of medical practitioners.
Internal medicine doctors practice general internal medicine or further specialize other areas of internal medicine. There are 13 subspecialties from which they choose. Specialization is called fellowship. Some of the subspecialties are cardiology, gastroenterology, adolescent medicine, rheumatology (arthritis), and oncology. In the United States, The American Board of Internal Medicine and American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine certify internists.
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Monday Mar 22, 2010

For a lot of senior citizens who have Medicare Part D, a fixed income makes it difficult to afford their prescription medication. The Medicare Part D coverage gap for those patients who have a serious,lasting condition, can be very difficult. During this time of the year there is much talk about the “donut hole” or coverage gap. What is it, why is it there, and how does it work?
The coverage gap (donut hole) was created by the government to decrease the cost of Medicare’s Part D coverage. Each year, a limit for Part D is determined. $2400 was the 2007 yearly amount. $2510 is what the yearly amount was increased to in 2008. $2700 is the amount in 2009. Determination of the limit is based on the total cost of the drugs that you receive. This includes what the insurance company pays and your co-pays. If the insurance company pays $700 and you pay $150 for a prescription, the dollar amount that goes towards the yearly amount is the entire amount of $850.
You must pay for all of your prescriptions during the time you are in the donut hole. Usually there is coverage for your generics when you are in the donut hole. This really is not that great of a benefit because these Part D plans tend to cost more per month than most generics actually cost. Everyone’s situation is different, so for some patients it might be worth it to have coverage for their generic drugs.
In just a few short months a Medicare Part D patient with chronic conditions can reach the donut hole due to their costly prescription medication. Our company has seen patients reach the donut hole or coverage gap as soon as February. Steering patients to use less expensive prescription drugs when possible is the whole point for the donut hole or coverage gap.
That is okay for those people who have the option of selecting generics but it punishes those who must use costly drugs because nothing else works. For instance, for patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose health condition can only be successfully controlled by Enbrel, they can go into the donut hole within 2 or 3 months. Then, they must pay for their prescriptions at full cost for the remaining months until the catastrophic coverage portion of Part D kicks in, or suffer the potentially disabling consequences of stopping their medicine. The price of Enbrel is about $1,500 a month. There are many seniors who are not able to pay that.
Because of their lower income level, some patients will be able to qualify for patient assistance programs. Going directly to the drug manufacturer can be most helpful in obtaining low or no cost medicine. Call the company and ask about their Prescription Assistance Program. Almost all manufacturers offer such programs, which enable consumers to receive prescription medicine they need at a price they can afford.
You and your doctor will need to complete an application. Patient Assistance Programs run by pharmaceutical companies have been in existence for over 22 years. These programs are designed to assist eligible patients who cannot afford their prescription medicine due to low income or other financial hardships.
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Friday Mar 19, 2010

Prescription medications are an increasingly costly part of everyone’s budget, and in tight economic times, finding ways of reducing prescription drug costs is very attractive.
Sometimes a terrible choice has to be made, one medication over another, prescriptions or food… insanely expensive but still helpful medications that aren’t covered by insurance and may be out of reach.
Here the online health resource WebMD has come up with ten money saving ways to keep those prescription drug costs under control.
1) Consider Generics – Nothing says you must take the name brand medication; often generic drugs are just as effective options. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that heart disease patients often do just as well on the generic form of a medication as they do on the brand name variety.
2) Halving Higher Dose Pills – It’s an extra step on your part, you need to carefully break each tablet, but it can save you money in the long run, especially on medications you must take often. The thing is, both high and low doses of most medications cost the same – so you’re getting the benefit of a quantity pricing. Talk to your doctor about this first to ensure it’s a suitable option for you.
3) Higher Doses Taken Less Often – In some cases, a change in dosing schedule can save you money without impacting treatment. Rather than taking small doses twice a day, ask your doctor about a higher dose taken once daily.
4) Switching From Combo Medications – Separate pills can sometimes be less costly than the combination medications, so talk to your doctor if you’re having trouble paying for the medication. You may be surprised by the options open to you.
5) Shopping For The Best Prices – The cost of prescription drugs can vary from store to store, and are sometimes cheaper if you order by mail or online. Don’t be shy about asking for prices; just as you would any other item you buy. All chain drug stores are selling the same medications – it’s up to you how much you’ll pay in profits to the drug store.
6) Investigating Drug Company Assistance Programs – If you meet certain financial criteria, you may qualify for assistance from a drug manufacturer. There will probably be paperwork and phone calls, but the savings can make the effort well worth it.
7) Looking At Medicare Part D – if you’re 65 or older, or have Medicare as the result of a disability, you can change plans every year from November 15th to December 31st. Don’t do this without some investigation… talk with your pharmacist and take a look at your current plan to see if it’s still meeting your needs, if not, plan for a change.
Storing Medications Correctly – Heat, moisture and darkness can affect the potency of a medication, which means don’t store your medications in the bathroom medicine cabinet. After spending so much to get a particular drug, you won’t want to find it impossible to take because of damage due to how it may have been stored.
9) Don’t Save Medications – Once your condition improves the temptation is to stop taking it and keep the rest around for the future – don’t! This can be dangerous, and end up hurting your health (far more costly than the few dollars) in the long run. Finish your prescribed medication (especially those antibiotics) and go back to the doctor if you feel ill again.
10) Beware Expensive Drug Promotions – Especially those one-time deals. Remember, the incredible deal you get as part of a promotion won’t be there when it’s time to refill the prescription. In the long run, you’ll pay more for the same drug.
It’s important to keep in mind that your doctor and pharmacist are here to help you find a prescription drug that you can afford and that will help your symptoms best. Work with them. Confide financial struggles and see what can be done for reducing prescription drug costs – after all, if you don’t ask, no one can help and things won’t get easier.
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Wednesday Mar 17, 2010

As you may already be aware, you can save LOTS of money on prescription drugs by obtaining them from other countries. This article deals primarily with Canada, our good neighbor to the North.
On numerous occasions, I have purchased medication from an on-line, Canadian pharmacy and saved so much money. I had no problems; the customer service and quality was excellent! The medication came conveniently to me in the mail. You do not need to drive across the Canadian border or hassle otherwise to get your prescription medications; you can order them on line.
These same Canadian pharmacies can facilitate your acquisition of prescription drugs from other countries. There is a growing trend of people getting their prescription medications from India and the U.K. My medication came from an Indian Pharmacy but the purchase was coordinated through a Canadian facility. Canada is a first world country across the board and this fact provided me an added level of comfort.
MY SITUATION
I have a seizure disorder which came on a few years ago. I had a “funny feeling” one day at work. I was walking at the time, blacked out and, fell. I hit my face on the floor which caused some abrasions but no serious injury. I had a full workup and it was discovered I had a seizure disorder. I was prescribed Lamictal.
I’ve had three other seizures since then but all were because I was not taking my medication as prescribed. One was while I was driving; I felt it coming on (the aura) and was able to get off the road just in time before losing consciousness. The lesson is take your medication as prescribed.
Lamictal was effective in controlling my seizures but was criminally expensive. When I had health insurance, I didn’t think much about it. However, I became unemployed and then had to pay for it myself. This was very painful for me economically. Furthermore, I am married with two little children.
The situation frustrated me so I went on a time consuming quest to find a better deal. I found that Lamictal was dramatically cheaper in Canada. I started purchasing my medication through an on-line, Canadian pharmacy. I had no problems and the savings were dramatic.
The generic version of Lamictal has finally come out and is now much less expensive. So, I no longer have to buy it from Canada. Once a generic is released it does tend to become less expensive in the USA. Prior to a generic being released, the cost of many medications in America can be criminally high. Some medications are very expensive even when the generic does become available. At any rate, there are a number of scenarios where an on-line, Canadian pharmacy can save you thousands of dollars.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Bob Smithson
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Tuesday Mar 16, 2010

Despite the multitude of dramatic success stories associated with chiropractic medicine over the past 200 years, the profession is ridden with myths, wives tails and many unfortunate beliefs, or as it may be, disbeliefs. I have been running a center, which, very successfully, treats patients with vertigo, dizziness and dystonia for over ten years now. Because of my success in this area, I have attracted many patients from many states, who come to see me because there is hope. Many of my patients are referred to me by their doctor, but there are many others who are on the fence because of the assumptions they make based on the myths.
I know this because many of my patients confess after I get them better that they have been reading my articles for some time but assumed inappropriately that I could not help them. The obvious calamity here is the prolonged and needless suffering. Making matters worse is the simple fact that individuals with dizziness have increased risk of fall, and falls are the leading cause of accidental death and non-fatal injuries as reported by the CDC. Because of this fact, centers such as mine are instituting fall risk screening and fall prevention programs, which are now becoming required by hospital regulatory boards. Fortuitously, I have been doing this since before these regulations came along; realizing the endemic threat fall risk poses. So what makes my practice so different? Well, through education, training and board certification, I chose to limit practice to my specialty to assist other physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from a variety of neurologic conditions.
Typically, I serve in the same consulting manner as a medical neurologist. Patients come in for medical history and examination, they may or may not require specialized testing, which we either perform or prescribe, they get diagnosed, and they get treated according to their diagnosis. No big surprises here. The difference is that my therapies and applications do not include drugs or surgery. Our office uses an integrative functional neurologic rehabilitative approach to treatment paradigms. As a result, although many conditions may require drugs or surgery for efficacious treatment, many more do not. And these would be the individuals best served by me.
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Wednesday Mar 3, 2010

Darla Wilson was a very active woman who enjoyed swimming and cycling. Eight years ago, things started to go wrong. “There was this tremendous pain that would just come and go,” she says. “It started in my knees and then it moved on up to my hands and feet.” Darla went to see her doctor. After several visits and tests, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints.
Darla’s physician prescribed Enbrel, an injected medicine manufactured by Amgen for her arthritis pain. At nearly $1,500 a month, she didn’t think she could afford the medicine. The health insurance plan Darla had a work covered her doctor bills but there was no prescription drug coverage. Her physician suggested applying for prescription drug help through Amgen, the maker of the drug. She applied and was approved. “I don’t know what I would have done without that help for prescription,” Darla says.
Most pharmaceutical companies offer prescription drug help and some even help underinsured patients through co-pay programs. There are a lot of people who don’t know that these programs even exist. However, it isn’t easy for some patients to apply for this Rx help. Some companies are more difficult to work with than others. The application forms can be complicated and each company has their own set of rules and guidelines. Patients might be turned down if they don’t follow the steps exactly.
How do you know if your medicine has a program and if you can qualify for it? First, talk to your physician, who should be aware of these programs. Next, check with the individual drug companies. Sometimes it can be overwhelming if you are taking multiple medicines. It is a fact that PAPs can be a hit-or-miss for some patients. Some patients have tried to go through these programs and do it themselves and have gotten lost in the shuffle. Patients need to read the fine print and be careful not to get turned down for overlooking something on the forms or not following the instructions.
There are companies that assemble the information about all of the assistance programs and help you through the process. They do charge a fee but the fee should be a small amount. It takes patience and persistence to navigate the system, but for those who are willing to make the calls and do the research, the benefits can be immense. For Darla, who lives Phoenix, it has been a blessing.
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Sunday Feb 21, 2010

The drugs that people today rely upon to help them battle various illnesses and keep them healthy often come with serious concerns.
Modern medicine is among the wave of miracles done in the medical community in our society. Organ transplants, battling cancer and developing genetic solutions help millions of people worldwide each day.
Prescription medicines are part of this and often offer a solution. Sometimes, though, they become a problem, and not a cure.
The potential side effects of prescription drugs are one of those problems and can be quite serious. An asthma medicine, for example, might help the patient breathe more freely but might cause problems that interfere with everyday life.
Tests often show the side effects of a drug to be minor. Other times, tests do not reveal severe side effects, or some times they might be hidden. They only become known after hundreds or thousands of patients hit by the severe side effect go public and shed light on the problem. By then, it’s too late. People already have been hurt by the drug.
The federal Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, regulates prescription drugs yet is not a perfect watchdog.
Another concern is the potential for error in the pharmacy, where our prescriptions are packaged and labeled. We rely on pharmacists to get the prescription right and not make errors in the type of medicine or dosage. If they do make a mistake, the result can be very serious.
The FDA is proposing changes to make prescription labels easier to read, especially for pregnant women. These improvements also would benefit elderly patients who might have difficulty reading.
Similar prescription problems have occurred in hospitals, where busy workers have given the wrong medication to patients.
The best advice for patients is to always check your prescription to make sure they look right and to carefully read the label on your medicine.
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Saturday Feb 20, 2010

Dr. Ting Hung-Leung, Hong Kong’s deputy director for Traditional Chinese Medicine, commented: “The problem in 1997 was we had over 7,000 practitioners of herbal and Traditional Chinese Medicine and anyone could call themselves TCM practitioners.” Now rigid licensing and educational standards have made the study more acceptable to Western standards.
As a result, Chinese herbal medicine and clinics offering acupuncture treatment are opening up in many American medical schools and the ancient treatments are being tested in laboratories for effectiveness. Researchers and patients alike are surprised at the results.
Did you know that emphysema can even be treated by Chinese herbal therapy? First, patients should consider what their diets include. Do’s include: protein (fish, eggs, lean meats), nuts, seeds, legumes, fiber-rich vegetables and soy. Don’ts include: complex carbohydrates, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, simple sugars and things ending in “-ose.”
Never skip meals, but rather eat small meals throughout the day and have a small snack before bed. The most important Chinese herbal remedy is brewer’s yeast, which stabilizes blood sugar levels.
Chromium picolinate is also necessary for optimal insulin activity. Pacreatin and proteolytic enzymes aid in digestion. Zinc helps control appropriate insulin release. Glutamine will reduce sugar cravings. Many people with hypoglycemia are found to be lacking certain essentials: manganese and vitamin C with bioflavonoids.
Doctors also recommend herbal teas with burdock, dandelion or licorice to stabilize blood sugar levels. Ohiopogon is a powerful tonic that strengthens the lungs and heart and should be taken twice daily, 6 grams at a time. Check with a specialist to see what options are best for you.
“I think acceptance by the mainstream medicine is getting better and better,”said Che Chun Tao, professor and director of the School of Chinese Medicine at Chinese University. “I can tell you, before 1997 there were no doctors in hospitals who were willing to touch any herbal materials in clinical trials, but now there’s quite a number of clinical trials going on and there’s better acceptance from medical doctors.
I believe a combination of traditional Chinese medicine together with western medicine is needed for treating serious diseases and it’s important to offer a choice for patients and the general public,” he said. Currently, clinical trials for Chinese herbal extracts are being tested all around the world to cure some of the world’s most serious diseases.
“If you are taking herbs without experiencing any results after a week or two, then perhaps your formula needs to be changed, unhealthy foods eliminated from your diet, or other changes made,” says Jiang Wind Xiao, one Chinese herbal exhibitor.
“If you are being told to take herbs for long periods of time without seeing any benefits, or are experiencing side effects, then perhaps you need to see another practitioner.” Pharmaceuticals should still be used for emergencies, but for long term care Chinese herbal remedies work best.
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Thursday Feb 18, 2010

Homeopathy is an alternative science that looks at the cause of a disease to battle it. It is not accepted by many mainstream scientists and doctors but is claimed by many to be a very effective and healing treatment. Homeopathy claims to have medicines for almost all ailments and acne is one of them. Conventional drugs frequently produce side effects, because they work by stifling symptoms. Homeopathic medicine, on the other hand, eases symptoms by putting a body’s system into proper equilibrium. Since Homeopathic medicine supports the body’s own resistance, it does not cause any side effects. Most of homeopathic medicine uses natural products to tackle the ailment.
Homeopathy offers a few solutions for acne and pimples. Homeopathic acne gel is the most commonly used among these. The gel is applied onto the acne-affected area and kept on for a period of time. Another type of homeopathy acne medicine is a chewable tablet. These tablets counter act oil secreting glands and help reduce pimples and acne that result from oily skin. Homeopathy also offers a lot of creams and ointments that attack acne. Contrary to conventional creams, they do not cause problems to those who have sensitive skins.
Although there are many homeopathic doctors treating acne and many acne-affected people using the treatments, mainstream doctors and scientists have ruled out the effectiveness of these remedies to cure acne. There is quite a debate as to whether homeopathic medicines can really cure acne. Although many users of homeopathy medicine will vouch for the efficiency its effects, they also admit that it is extremely slow at its work.